..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

'I should have put that in' - Van Persie rues missed chance after Real Madrid draw

The Manchester United striker was denied by Diego Lopez on three occasions in the second half and admitted he should have done better with at least one of his opportunities

Manchester United forward Robin van Persie has rued missing the chance to hand his side an aggregate advantage in Wednesday evening's Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

The Red Devils earned a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the last-16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu, but could have carved out a lead had Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez not regularly thwarted the Dutchman.

And, after the game, Van Persie lamented his inability to hand Sir Alex Ferguson's side a potentially decisive victory in the Spanish capital.

"I had three in the second half, especially the other when I hit the bar," the former Arsenal hitman told Sky Sports.

"That was a big chance, I should have put that in. I slightly mis-kicked it, I didn't hit it properly. So with a bit of luck, it could have gone in but it didn't.

"In the dying seconds, their keeper made a really good save because I was counting on that one to go in."

United goalkeeper David de Gea was also worked hard on his return to Spain, and Van Persie admitted either team could have come away with a win.

"Yes, for sure [it could have gone either way]," he added. "They had a couple of good chances and I think if you said it would finish 1-1 before the game, most of us would take it.

"Away from home, it's a good result but for the people who watched the game, they have seen chances on both sides and it was a great game to watch."

The result means that Real has to score when it travels to England, but the 29-year-old doesn't believe that fact counts for much.

When asked whether United has the advantage, he said: "Well slightly. At this level I don't really think these kind of teams care if they play at home or away.

"We don't really care, they don't really care and it is only halftime now. We will be ready for the second half."

 

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UEFA Europa League 2013.02.14 Round Of 32 Fixtures

UEFA Europa League 2013.02.14 Round Of 32 Fixtures

Zenit Vs Liverpool

Anji Vs Hanover

Sparta Praha Vs Chelsea

Dynamo Kyiv Vs Bordeaux

Leverkusen Vs Benfica

BATE Vs Fenerbahce

Ajax Vs Steaua

Napoli Vs Plazen

Levante Vs Olympiacos

Basel Vs Dnipro

Inter Vs CFR Cluj

Newcastle United Vs Metalist

Stuttgart Vs Genk

Atletico Madrid Vs Rubin

Monchengladbach Vs Lazio

Tottenham Vs Lyon

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[Banks PLK]

FIFA 13 | Happy Valentine's Day!

 

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Kehl: Dortmund has every chance of qualifying following Shakhtar draw

 

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Barcelona's Villa re-admitted to hospital

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FIFA 13 | Happy Valentine's Day!

FIFA13

 

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Atletico Madrid 0-2 Rubin Kazan: Russians stun tournament holder

Europa League holder Atletico Madrid faces a tough task to stay in the competition as the club was narrowly defeated 2-0 by Rubin Kazan at the Vicente Calderon.

Kurban Berdyev's men struck early through Gokdeniz Karadeniz in the first 10 minutes, and rode their luck for the majority of the match after the first half dismissal of captain Roman Sharonov. However, the Russian side ultimately held out and netted again in the dying minutes through Pablo Orbaiz when Atletico was committing heavily for the equalizer.

The visiting outfit got off to the perfect start and netted the opening goal with just six minutes on the clock. Karadeniz cut in from the left side and slid the ball into the feet of Salomon Rondon, who drilled a shot towards the bottom corner. Sergio Asenjo in the Atletico goal managed to palm the ball to his right, but Kardeniz ran in to smash the rebound into the corner with a composed finish.

Los Colchoneros almost made an immediate reply. Arda Turan curled an out-swinging corner kick to the edge of the area for Diego Godin, but the Uruguayan's impressive volley fizzed past the post.

Rubin was dealt a blow just before the break. Sharonov, who had previously been booked for a foul on Cristian Rodriguez, was shown a second yellow card when he tripped up Radamel Falcao as the Atletico man was jinking his way into the penalty area.

The home side looked bright after the break, with the man advantage proving to be telling in the middle of the park.

Atletico should have equalized a quarter-hour into the half when Arda whipped in a teasing delivery to the front post and Tiago rose high to power a header towards goal. Luckily for Rubin, the attempt was straight down the throat of goalkeeper, Sergei Ryzhikov.

As the second half progressed, Diego Simeone's men turned up the heat, but the in-form Ryzhikov was proving to be a formidable barrier between the sticks.

In quick succession, the Rubin 'keeper denied Arda's strike from the edge of the box with an unconventional save with his legs, and managed to block a volley from Falcao from the same position.

Things just did not seem to be coming off for the Colombian on the night. With 12 minutes remaining, he turned swiftly on the edge of the box and powered a superb volley towards goal, only to see his attempt crash off the crossbar.

Rodriguez had a golden opportunity to snatch a goal back for his side in the last 10 minutes, but sent his header wide of the mark despite having a large portion of the goal in which to aim.

Atletico continued to push further forward for an equalizer, but this proved to be the club's undoing. Goalkeeper, Asenjo, in his attempts to join find a goal from a corner kick, was terribly caught out of position. A pacey counterattack from the Russian side saw Orbaiz run through the center and have the simplest of tasks to slot home into the empty net.

Rubin Kazan now takes a vital 2-0 lead into the second leg in Russia, but Atletico will not go down easy in the defense of its Europa League crown.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Newcastle 0-0 Metalist Kharkiv: Home side fuming over offside calls

Newcastle was left frustrated on Thursday night after seeing two goals incorrectly ruled offside during a 0-0 first-leg draw with Metalist Kharkiv in the Europa League last 32.

Alan Pardew made just three changes from the team which lost 2-1 at Tottenham as Gabriel Obertan and Yanga-Mbiwa for the cup-tied pair of Yoan Gouffran and Mathieu Debuchy, while Cheikh Tiote replaced James Perch. For Metalist, it was their first competitive game since losing 1-0 to Rapid Wien in December.

After a tame opening 15 minutes of football threatening to spark into life, the best chance of the half fell Newcastle's way. Moussa Sissoko quickly switched flanks with Obertan to allow the winger to skip towards the edge of the area, dummy one challenge and drill a low drive the wrong side of Olexandr Goryainov’s right-hand post.

Newcastle built on that momentum and had the ball in the back of the net soon after when Sissoko darted onto Davide Santon’s ball over the defense, sprinted into the area and laid the ball back for Papiss Cisse to slot home - only for the assistant referee’s late, and incorrect, flag to cut celebrations short.

Despite the Ukrainian outfit looking dangerous on the counterattack, Newcastle was struggling to make its dominance count as Cisse struck the ball straight at Goryainov before a mix-up in defense between Marco Torsiglieri and Cristian Villagra allowed Obertan and the Senegalese striker instinctive weak shots at goal that the keeper collected with ease.

Metalist started the second half on a much more positive note than the first, with Vinicius Fininho pouncing on hesitation by Yohan Cabaye to slip Jonathan Cristaldo free into the area, but the striker lashed his right-footed shot on the angle over Tim Krul’s bar.

Newcastle, for all its hustle and bustle, seemed to regress into the team English fans would have been used to seeing for the majority of the Premier League campaign as the play started to be littered with misplaced passes and pot-shots from the edge of the box.Sylvain Marveaux was introduced to bring more impetus to Newcastle, and the 26-year-old immediately lifted his team with a tricky run down the left and layoff to Cisse who shot straight at the keeper from 10 yards out.

Minutes later Marveaux took advantage of sloppy passing in the defense to run through on goal, but Goryainov was quick off his line to smother the danger.
Newcastle continued to charge and had the ball in the back of the net with 15 minutes remaining when Yanga-M'Biwa whipped in a fine cross for Cisse to toe-poke in off the far post, only to be incorrectly ruled offside yet again.

There was just enough time left for another heart-in-mouth moment for Newcastle fans when Willian fell under a challenge from Gutierrez inside the area, only for the referee to book the attacker for simulation to sum up a game a frustration for both sides.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Inter 2-0 Cluj: Slick double from Palacio puts Nerazzurri in driving seat

Inter will take a 2-0 lead to Romania in the second leg of its Europa League knockout tie with Cluj, but lost star striker Diego Milito to injury early in the first half to sour the Italian side's jubilation.

Two goals either side of halftime from Rodrigo Palacio helped Andrea Strammacioni's side to its second win in as many games in all competitions, with recent young signing Mateo Kovacic gaining his first team debut.

Cluj started positively, and in the fourth minute Robert Maah fired a sweetly-caught half volley towards goal, which curled wide of Samir Handanovic's post. Moments later, Inter faced an early injury setback, as Diego Milito lay in agony following an awkward fall.

Inter started sluggishly but almost took the lead in the 16th minute. After breaking quickly, Antonio Cassano carried the ball infield before looping a well-weighted cross to the back post in search of Esteban Cambiasso. The Argentine controlled the ball well, but was seemingly hesitant to shoot from a good position with Felgueiras standing tall, as his lame attempt at a cross flew harmlessly out of play.

Four minutes later, frustration within the stadium turned to joy, as substitute Palacio raced through on goal following a Fredy Guarin pass, before calmly lofting the ball over the Cluj goalkeeper and into the net. The Argentine's goal was a result of an unforced Cluj error, as the Romanian side generally fared better in the tentative first half.

Both sides began slowly in the second half, with Cluj continuing to shade possession but have limited chances. Goals seemed to be reliant on individual mistakes, with only Cassano and Guarin for Inter visibly possessing the tools to unlock the opposition defense.

Inter's first significant chance came on 62 minutes, where Cassano was presented with the chance to double his side's lead, as a deep cross was directed in his direction by a Guarin header. The 30-year-old was set to lash the ball past the helpless Cluj keeper from seven yards, but failed to get any true contact on the ball.

Play devolved into a sloppy midfield battle in the later stages, as both sides struggled to enjoy a decent spell of possession. Cluj dropped deeper, seemingly happy with a one-goal deficit for its home leg, allowing Inter to have more of the ball in advanced positions.

The best chance of the second half for the visitors came in the 83rd minute, as the ball was worked out to the left flank to Sepsi, following a mistake from the home side. The Romanian couldn't find a teammate with his centred ball however, as his cross looped out of the 18 yard box.

Three minutes later, Inter doubled its lead, courtesy of the same man who grabbed their opener, Palacio. The Argentine raced through on goal after a defense-splitting through ball, taking what seemed to be a poor touch as it tightened his angles from which to score. This didn't trouble him however, as he chipped Felgueiras with a delightful lob, to seal a solid home win for his side.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham 2-1 Lyon: Bale wonder goals light up the Lane

Gareth Bale's set-piece brilliance secured Tottenham a slender advantage over Lyon after an entertaining Europa League round of 32 first-leg clash at White Hart Lane.

The Welshman gave his side the win with practically the last kick of the game with a second sublime free kick, having seen his first cancelled out by a Samuel Umtiti thunderbolt.

Spurs still have work to do if they are to reach the last 16, but many of those present will simply feel privileged to have witnessed three truly fabulous goals.

Andre Villas-Boas denied Hugo Lloris a start against his former club by fielding Brad Friedel, while Emmanuel Adebayor made the starting XI for the first time since returning from AFCON duty with Togo.

Former Spurs man Steed Malbranque received a warm reception from the home crowd before taking his place at the heart of the Lyon midfield, while former Arsenal defender Remi Garde also returned to north London as manager of the French giant.

A high-intensity opening yielded few clear chances, with Bale’s deflected volley over from Kyle Walker’s hanging cross on nine minutes the closest either side came to a breakthrough.

Six minutes later Spurs were saved by referee Pedro Proenca. Bafetimbi Gomis jinked into the box and collided with the outstretched leg of Jan Vertonghen, only to see his appeals waved away.

Stung into action, the home side roared back, and on 27 minutes Mousa Dembele’s sublime pass sent Adebayor running through, but the Togo international shanked his finish.

Lyon was struggling to deal with the pace of the home side, and 10 minutes later Walker raced to the line before picking out Bale, who miscued his shot with the goal gaping.

But as halftime loomed the Welshman finally made his mark, dipping a superb 35-yard free kick beyond a scrambling Remy Vercoutre and into the bottom corner. As White Hart Lane saluted his brilliance, he seemed to dedicate the strike to all those celebrating Valentine’s Day with his customary heart celebration, and a buoyed Spurs led at the break.

Lyon embarked on the second half with renewed purpose but were frustrated by some disciplined defending from the home side – until the 54th minute, when Umtiti had his say. A looping cross from Lisandro Lopez was comfortably headed away to the corner of the area by William Gallas, and the danger appeared to have passed.

The 19-year-old raced onto the loose ball and unleashed a half-volley with his first touch which blazed into the top corner in the blink of an eye, leaving Friedel rooted and stunned.

Lyon had found its swagger again, and on 62 minutes Alexandre Lacazette glided away from Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Vertonghen and Scott Parker before stinging the palms of Friedel.

Bale still looked a threat at the other end, though, and moments later the Welshman forced Vercoutre to beat the ball clear with his second attempt from the edge of the area.

The Welshman was not to be denied, and rifled another brilliant free kick past Vercoutre in injury time to secure a result which ensures Spurs have a lead to protect at the Stade de Gerland next Thursday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale nam kiyala wadak nahaPattama form 1ke inne​

 

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Atletico Madrid 0-2 Rubin Kazan: Russians stun tournament holder

Europa League holder Atletico Madrid faces a tough task to stay in the competition as the club was narrowly defeated 2-0 by Rubin Kazan at the Vicente Calderon.

Kurban Berdyev's men struck early through Gokdeniz Karadeniz in the first 10 minutes, and rode their luck for the majority of the match after the first half dismissal of captain Roman Sharonov. However, the Russian side ultimately held out and netted again in the dying minutes through Pablo Orbaiz when Atletico was committing heavily for the equalizer.

The visiting outfit got off to the perfect start and netted the opening goal with just six minutes on the clock. Karadeniz cut in from the left side and slid the ball into the feet of Salomon Rondon, who drilled a shot towards the bottom corner. Sergio Asenjo in the Atletico goal managed to palm the ball to his right, but Kardeniz ran in to smash the rebound into the corner with a composed finish.

Los Colchoneros almost made an immediate reply. Arda Turan curled an out-swinging corner kick to the edge of the area for Diego Godin, but the Uruguayan's impressive volley fizzed past the post.

Rubin was dealt a blow just before the break. Sharonov, who had previously been booked for a foul on Cristian Rodriguez, was shown a second yellow card when he tripped up Radamel Falcao as the Atletico man was jinking his way into the penalty area.

The home side looked bright after the break, with the man advantage proving to be telling in the middle of the park.

Atletico should have equalized a quarter-hour into the half when Arda whipped in a teasing delivery to the front post and Tiago rose high to power a header towards goal. Luckily for Rubin, the attempt was straight down the throat of goalkeeper, Sergei Ryzhikov.

As the second half progressed, Diego Simeone's men turned up the heat, but the in-form Ryzhikov was proving to be a formidable barrier between the sticks.

In quick succession, the Rubin 'keeper denied Arda's strike from the edge of the box with an unconventional save with his legs, and managed to block a volley from Falcao from the same position.

Things just did not seem to be coming off for the Colombian on the night. With 12 minutes remaining, he turned swiftly on the edge of the box and powered a superb volley towards goal, only to see his attempt crash off the crossbar.

Rodriguez had a golden opportunity to snatch a goal back for his side in the last 10 minutes, but sent his header wide of the mark despite having a large portion of the goal in which to aim.

Atletico continued to push further forward for an equalizer, but this proved to be the club's undoing. Goalkeeper, Asenjo, in his attempts to join find a goal from a corner kick, was terribly caught out of position. A pacey counterattack from the Russian side saw Orbaiz run through the center and have the simplest of tasks to slot home into the empty net.

Rubin Kazan now takes a vital 2-0 lead into the second leg in Russia, but Atletico will not go down easy in the defense of its Europa League crown.

 

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Sparta Prague 0-1 Chelsea: Late Oscar magic gives Blues advantage

Super sub Oscar snatched a late winner for Chelsea as the club labored to a vital 1-0 victory over Sparta Prague at the Toyota Arena to leave the team with a great chance of qualifying for the last 16 of the Europa League.

The Brazilian was on the pitch for less than a 60 seconds before he latched on to a delightful flick from Eden Hazard eight minutes from time to notch his sixth European goal of the season and ease the pressure on Rafa Benitez.

The Spaniard rested Ashley Cole and the recovering John Terry but otherwise opted for a strong starting XI featuring the likes of Fernando Torres, Ramires and Juan Mata as he sought to decide the tie with vital away goals.

The away supporters' chants of "Champions League, we know what we are" were a sign of their confidence despite this year's blip, but on this evidence their team is falling short of the performances they became used to last season.

Chelsea probed early with Marko Marin and Hazard combining on the left before the latter's low cross zipped along the six-yard line and away from danger.

The first real chance of the game came for the Martin Hasek's side after a quarter of an hour, with January signing David Lafata skying a free volley on the stretch from 12 yards after a fine ball in from Zopotocny.

Matejovsky blazed an effort over the bar after 26 minutes after a well-worked move from the right again through Zopotocny, and Petr Cech did well to hang onto a deflected shot from Ladislav Krejci a minute later.

Lafata missed another gilt-edged chance on the half hour. The striker beat Chelsea's offside trap but managed to slide a half-volley wide from seven yards out, with only the offside flag to spare his blushes.

Not content with seeing Lafata do all the struggling in front of goal, Torres forced Thomas Vaclik into a low save that was far too comfortable before falling over while trying to finish a pass from Lampard in the area on 37 minutes.

The second half started much as the first ended, with Torres failing to convert another half-chance before the home side began to test the Chelsea back line once again.

Gary Cahill was fortunate to remain on the pitch after clumsily treading on Krejci's heel after 57 minutes having already been booked, with referee Daniele Orsato deciding to be lenient with the England defender, while Marin and Torres running into each other after 63 minutes just about summed up the game for the pair.

The match was in desperate need of a flash of inspiration and substitute Oscar provided it within a minute of his arrival. The Belgium international pulled the ball back wonderfully and the young Brazilian took it in stride before coolly slotting past Vaclik from 16 yards with eight minutes left on the clock.

Sparta was devoid of an answer to Oscar's magic as Chelsea stood firm, and the tie is now firmly in English club's control.

 

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Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 Liverpool: Incredible Hulk strike stuns lackluster Reds

An inspired performance from Pepe Reina was not enough to stop Liverpool going down 2-0 to Zenit St Petersburg in a pulsating Europa League last-32 first leg on Thursday.

The Reds were second best throughout the tie, despite star striker Luis Suarez enjoying a number of golden opportunities, and were punished by a quick-fire Zenit double as Hulk and Sergey Semak struck in the second half.The Russian champion boasted a fully fit squad going into the game, with the club's last competitive action coming in a 1-1 league draw against Anzhi Makhachkala in mid-December.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, was without cup-tied duo Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho, but fulfilled his promise of selecting a strong squad for the tie, with Martin Skrtel, Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen all being reintroduced after Monday’s Premier League defeat to West Brom.

Both sides raced straight out of the blocks as a fantastic opening couple of minutes provided glorious chances at either end.First, Alexsandr Kerzhakov was denied his 12th goal of the season by Pepe Reina, before Suarez displayed superb footwork in the opposite penalty area, only for his ensuing shot to flash just wide from close range.

Reina was forced into another great save minutes later as Hulk struck from distance and the Spaniard had to use his fingertips to tip the ball inches wide of the post.But Zenit’s early dominance could not stop the game’s next chance falling to Liverpool – and it was a big one.

Nicolas Lombaerts gave possession away cheaply in his own half and Suarez capitalized, storming into the penalty area and rounding shot stopper Viacheslav Malafeev. The Uruguayan pulled his touch too far wide, however, and the home defenders were able to clear the ball out for a throw.

At the other end, Suarez’s fellow South American Hulk made his own jinking run into the box but was expertly stopped by Jamie Carragher, before the Brazilian then struck the post from a tight angle after 27 minutes.Suarez then got his third golden opportunity to give the English club a precious away goal on 40 minutes, as Allen delivered a cross into the box that eventually worked its way to the 26-year-old. Amazingly, the Uruguayan’s back-heeled finish floated inches wide once again and both sides headed into the dugout soon after wondering how it was still goalless.

Straight after the restart, Glen Johnson was denied by Malafeev and Suarez fired wide from outside the box yet again, but the Reds, whose chance conversion rate this season is a lowly 12 percent, were just too profligate to make a difference.On 70 minutes, Liverpool paid the price. Hulk stole possession inside the Liverpool half and sent a thunderous strike into the top corner, leaving Reina – who was otherwise sensational on the night – with absolutely no chance.

Zenit then doubled the lead instantly as substitute Semak slipped in with a great run and got on the end of Aleksandr Anyukov’s cross to tap in at the far post
The result leaves the Reds in real danger of elimination, and a tense second leg at Anfield now awaits.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale hails practice after free kick double

The 23-year-old scored two injury-time set pieces to give Spurs a 2-1 win over Lyon, but felt the team was not 100 percent, so was delighted to have scored the winne Tottenham star Gareth Bale has hailed training-ground practice after he scored two free kicks against Lyon on Thursday.

The Welshman added to the set piece he scored against Newcastle last Sunday with two long-range efforts - the first from 35 yards out in first-half injury time and the second coming with the last kick of the game.

A delightful strike from Samuel Umtiti was sandwiched between the goals, the youngster hitting the ball first time from an acute angle, leaving Brad Friedel stranded in goal.

"I'm delighted,"Bale told ITV. "I've been practicing free kicks on the training ground and I scored one like that last week. Both came at good times in the game.

"Lyon are a good team and we weren't 100 percent to be honest - we looked a bit tired. But the most important thing is we got the win. It's going to be hard going over there, but we're taking this competition seriously."

Spurs travel to France next week with a goal advantage, but Umtiti's away goal leaves the tie firmly in the balance.

 

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Stramaccioni left distraught by Milito's season-ending injury

The Inter coach expressed his sadness after the striker was stretchered off on Thursday night Andrea Stramaccioni has expressed his sadness after Diego Milito's season was brought to an abrupt end when he suffered a serious knee injury in Inter's 2-0 win over Cluj.

The Argentine striker, who helped propel the Nerazzurri to Champions League victory in 2010, fell awkwardly after getting his studs trapped just seven minutes into Thursday night's Europa League clash.

Stramaccioni is distraught that his forward, who was stretchered off at San Siro in tears, looks set to miss the remainder of the campaign.

"Unfortunately, this injury rather ruined the night," Stramaccioni told reporters after the match. "It is a lesion to the anterior cruciate ligament, damage to the collateral ligament and capsule. It is a terrible injury and totally new compared to the problems he had in the past.

"There’s a one percent chance of this happening, but it happened to Diego. We now just need to know when he’ll have the operation. It’s awful news, as we all care for him as a person as well as a player. I am personally very close to him and feel so sad right now."

Two goals from Rodrigo Palacio mean Inter goes into the second leg of its Europa League tie with a commanding lead and gave some reason for cheer on a night marred by Milito's injury blow.

 

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Liverpool can overturn two-goal deficit against Zenit, insists Gerrard

The Anfield skipper believes the Reds can turn their Europa League tie on its head after going 2-0 down in St Petersburg in the first leg on Thursday evening
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes his side can turn its UEFA Europa League tie against Zenit St Petersburg around after losing the first leg of the round of 32 clash 2-0 on Thursday.

The Reds hopes of making the last 16 of the competition were dealt a major blow when Brazilian forward Hulk and Sergei Semak struck within minutes of each other to leave the Anfield outfit a large deficit to overcome in a week's time.

The loss comes in the aftermath of Monday's league defeat to West Brom, and Gerrard is now looking toward the weekend game against high-flying Swansea as a chance to right recent wrongs."We're obviously down. On the back of two defeats, it's a difficult moment but we need a reaction," Gerrard told the club's official website. "We've got a big game in a couple of days against Swansea, and we need to bounce back.

"Up until the 70th minute against Zenit, the game was under control. It was a tough night in tough conditions. We're disappointed with the two sloppy goals we conceded, but the tie is not over. If anyone can pull it back, it's us."

Liverpool has been involved in many European comebacks over the years - most famously against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final - and Gerrard hopes the fans will play a major part when Zenit travels to Anfield for the second leg.

"We'll have an advantage with our supporters," Gerrard said. "If they can create the noise they're capable of, get behind the team and we can get an early goal, it's game on.

"But we are disappointed. It wasn't the result we wanted - we wanted an away goal and to try and sneak away with a clean sheet, but if you concede sloppy goal, you get punished and that's what happened."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale: I am in the best form of my career

The Tottenham winger scored yet again on Thursday night, securing an injury-time win over Lyon with two long-range free kicks to take his goal tally to 17 for the seaso Tottenham winger Gareth Bale believes he is in the best form of his career so far, although warned that he feels he still has more to offer.

The 23-year-old scored twice in Spurs’ Europa League last-32 victory over Lyon, firing two swerving, dipping free kicks past the helpless Remy Vercoutre from long range.

Bale has now scored six goals in his last four games for the White Hart Lane outfit and says there is more to come.

“I’d probably say it’s the best I’ve been playing so far in my career,” Bale told reporters after the match. “I’m enjoying my football and the team’s playing well, which obviously makes it easier for me. I’ve just got to keep my head down now, keep working hard and just keep trying to keep my form.

“I’ve still got a lot of room for improvement. I know what I’ve got to do. I think season after season I’m improving in all areas and I just want to keep doing that and just keep working hard and hopefully keep getting better.”

Bale scored from two set pieces against Les Gones, having also netted from a dead ball situation against Newcastle on Saturday, and revealed it was an area of his game he has been working on.

“I’ve been practicing for a while now, from all sorts of distances, and it’s just nice to see them go in,” the Cardiff-born winger revealed.

The Welshman may have grabbed all the headlines and plaudits, but he was keen to highlight the performances and contributions of his teammates.

“I think we work as a team on the pitch, I’m just lucky enough to be getting the goals at the moment,” Bale added. “We worked hard as a team again tonight, I don’t think it goes down to individuals. The whole team deserves all the credit, no one can win a game on their own.”

 

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'I'm not thinking about any other teams' - Michu reiterates happiness at Swansea

The 26-year-old, who has attracted attention from elsewhere after scoring 18 goals in 32 appearances this season, has again underlined his commitment to the club

Swansea City striker Michu has reiterated his commitment to the Liberty Stadium outfit following fresh speculation regarding his future.The 26-year-old has been a revelation in English football since arriving from Rayo Vallecano for 2.75 million euros in the summer, scoring 18 goals in 32 appearances in all competitions for the Swans.

Such form had led to speculation of a big-money move elsewhere in the summer, but the forward insists he is enjoying his time in Wales and has no plans to leave the club any time soon.

"I'm happy at the club," he told reporters. "If we win the League Cup final we will be in Europe, then I will be very happy. I'm not thinking about any other teams.

"I don't know how long I will be at Swansea. I'm just enjoying it now."

Michu penned a new contract during January, committing himself to the club until 2016.

 

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Everton has 'a lot to aim for this season', says Howard

The 33-year-old says the club must "keep pushing forward" and improve on previous campaigns, with Oldham in the FA Cup next up and Champions League qualification a possibility.Tim Howard believes Everton has "a lot to aim for" this season, with the club in the fifth round of the FA Cup and still in with a chance of a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Long-serving boss David Moyes has won praise in the past for guiding the club into the Champions League in the 2005-06 season and the Toffees are once again in with a chance of qualification - currently sitting six points off the pace.

Ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round tie with Oldham on Saturday, Howard feels this season could be the most successful in recent memory for Everton."January was a good month for us and we’ve still got a lot to aim for this season - we’re going well in the Premier League and we’re in the fifth round of the FA Cup," he told the club's official website. "A lot of clubs would settle for that but we’ve just got to keep pushing forward and try to make this a season to remember."

The 33-year-old was named Everton's player of the month for January - a period that saw him keep two clean sheets and the team go undefeated in all competitions. The former Manchester United man was pleased with the accolade, but insisted that it's more important that the squad performs well and secures favorable results.

“It’s always nice to win individual awards and I was delighted when I was told about it but it’s all about the team," he added. "I know that’s a cliche but we’re at the stage of the season now where it’s all about results.”